Sealed heater element and the like



"Jam 23, 1951 J. swlss` SEALED HEATER ELEMENT AND THE LIKE Filed March 24, 1950 Insu/aT/on wlTNEssl-:s:

INVENTOR Jack Swiss JM A TTORN Patented Jen. 23, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

l2,538,808 SEALED HEATER ELEMENT AND THE LIKE Jack Swiss, Murrysville, Pa., assigner to Westing house Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a. corporation of Pennsylvania Application Maren 24, 195o, serial No. 151,821

Claims.

This invention relates to the process of tightly or herrmetically sealing openings in members, and particularly the terminals of sheathed electrical heating coils.

This application is a continuation in part of my copending patent application Serial No. 733,371 illed March 8, 1947, now abandoned, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

The problem of providing a, relatively air and moisture proof Seal for openings in relatively rigid structures made of metal, glass, or the relatively low elasticity materials has been quite exacting, particularly where the structures are subjected to elevated temperatures during use. The thermal expansion and contraction of the structure sealed often results in a breaking apart of the seal applied to the aperture and consequent failure. Specifically, sheathed heater elements employed in electrical ranges and as immersion heaters are subject to deterioration or failure if interior of the sheath, wherein is disposed the resistance heating element thereof, is exposed to air and moisture. 'I'he insulation disposed between the heating element and the walls of the protecting sheath deteriorates markedly in insulation resistance when subjected to moisture. Glass beads or seals have been applied to heater terminals for sealing purposes but the percentage of failure of such seals in use is high as a result of cracking due either to mechanical or thermal shock or other failure.

The object of this invention is to provide a method for producing a tight or hermetic seal of an opening in a member.

A further object of the invention is to provide an insulating hermetic seal for the terminals of sheathed electrical elements.

Still other objects of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following specication and drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation partly broken and partly in cross section of a heater element for use in an electrical range during an early part of its construction;

Fig. 2 is a. plan view of a completed electrical range heater, and

Fig. 3 is a View in side elevation partly in cross section of the heater of Fig.` 2.

It has been discovered that when a body of solid polytetrafluoroethylene is conned at a temperature of from 320 C. to 5007 C. or polychlorotriiiuoroethylene when conned at a temperature of at least 250 C., either solid being confined under a substantial pressure of at least 100 p. s. i.

and cooled substantially below 200 C. while under such pressure, each body of solid then possesses the property of "unmolding when heated to a temperature of above 200 C. The treated body of polytetrailuoroethylene or polychlorotrifluoroethylene may be cut, severed or otherwise machined and prepared into members of any desired shape at room temperature but when heated to an elevated temperature of about 200 C. and higher the processed shaped members will unmold or expand permanently in at lerst one direction, and one cross-sectional area will exhibit a greater permanent increase in area than any other cross-section. Usually in one direction perpendicular to the area of maximum expansion, the body will assume a permanent contraction. The expansion occurs within a short period of time after heating, generally within an hour or so. Such permanent expansion will be greater for higher temperatures. The maximum expansion is realized when a temperature of about 320 C. and higher has been applied to the member for a period of about a day. If a member of the treated polymer is conned in such a manner as' to oppose the expansion, the member will develop a pressure against the confining means when heated above 200 C. The combination of such permanent expansion due to unmolding with the plastic properties of polytetrailuoroethylene and polychlorotriiluoroethylene will enable sealing plugs of either polymer to conform to the roughness or inequalities of coniining surfaces so that a seal possessing hermetic properties can be readily obtained. I have found that the maximum permanent linear expansion of either processed polymer Will vary from about 10% at 200 C. to at least 30% at 300 C. of the original dimension. An increase in cross-sectional areas as a result of such permanent expansion of these polymers of the order of 10% is readily obtained.

Permanent expansion of bodies of either polymer can be secured by cold working them to reduce them at least one dimension, thereby imparting preferential unmoldig characteristics. Best results from cold Working are had by cold Working polymers oi' a density of at least 2 until the worked product. has'a density of 2.09 and higher. The polytetrauoroethylene and polychlorotriiluoroethylene bodies previous to cold.

` to relieve the compression imparted by the rolling. Other dimensions may shrink slightly. This corresponds in some of its aspects to what is known as elastic memory or "elastic recovery.

It has been found that bodies of either polytetraiiuoroethylene or polychlorotrifluoroethylene having a density of below 2.08 have no unmolding properties or at most exhibit so little permanent expansion that it is negligible. Polychlorotrifluoroethylene bodies of a density of 2.09 and higher have exhibited substantial permanent expansion of at least 13.1% in one dimensionwhen heated to 200 C. and higher. Polytetrafiuoroethylene of a density of 2.16 exhibited a maximum cross-sectional increase when heated to unmolding temperatures of 9.7%. In one case a rolled sheet'of'polytetrafluoroethylene of a rolled thickness of 0.015 inch after heating to 350 C. for 40 hours and cooling to room temperature permanently expanded to a thickness of 0.03 inch, While the length decreased 35%. By comparison a portion of polytetrafluoroethylene of a density of 2.05 when heated to 300 C. for several hours exhibited no appreciable change in any dimension when cooledv to room temperature.

Sealing plugs or similar members may be prepared from large blocks or other molded pieces of polymerized tetrafluoroethylene produced under heat and pressure or individual sealing plugs may be molded in molds wherein the maximum pressure is applied in a direction corresponding to the transverse section of the aperture or opening to be sealed. By applying the sealing plug to the aperture or opening with either a close nt or a mechanical force tit and then heating the sealing plug of polymerized tetrafiuoroethylene or chlorotrifluoroethylene to a temperature of about 200 C. unmolding takes place and the sealing plug will expand to completely ll the aperture 50 or opening under considerable pressure, thereby providing a hermetic seal.

Rods of polytetraiiuoroethyleneor polychlorotrifiuoroethylene may be cold rolled from a large diameter to a diameter closely approximating the u opening to be sealed and the rod severed into plugs of suitable length which may be placed in the opening and heated to a temperature of at least 200 C. whereupon the plugs will expand to fill the opening tightly.

In preparing a molded body of polytetrafiuoroethylene suitable for the practice of this invention, the following process may be employed. When prepared by known polymerizing processes, polytetrafiuoroethylene and polychlorotrifluoroethylene are white or brown powders which undergo a reversible transition above about 320 C. and about-250 C., respectively. A weighed quantity of the powder is placed within a, mold and cold pressed at a pressure of from 100 pounds to as much as 5000 pounds per square inch. The compact or preform so produced may be sintered by heating it within a mold while maintaining a pressure of at least 100 p.. s. i. to a temperature transition point temperature, and cooled substarlc ,tialiy below 200 C. before the pressure is re lieved. Alternatively, cold pressed rods of the polymer may be placed within a close iitting contained such as a capped steel pipe or an equivalent conilning structure, and the assembly placed within a furnace or oven where it may be heated to a temperature of above about 320 C. and preferabiy to above 400 C. The linear coefficient of thermal expansion of polytetrafiuoroethylene is greater than that of steel and accordingly dur- 4 ing the heating process, the polymer is subjected to an autogenous pressure suitable for the purpose of the invention. The sintcring operation produces a homogeneous, coherent solid possessing excellent physical properties but having little or no unmolding properties since the autogenous pressure is less than p. s. i. at 300U C. The rod so produced may be machined with metal working tools to any predetermined shape or size. Slabs, rods or sheets of the polymer so produced are then subjected to cold working by rolling processes to reduce the thickness o-r diameter by about 50%, which cold worked product now exhibits a tendency to expand permanently on rehcating to temperatures of about 200 C. and higher.

It should be understood that this permanent expansion due to unmolding of the polymer mer when heated to a. temperature of at least 200 C. is additional to the thermal expansion, and on cooling to room temperature it will be found that the shape of the member has changed permanently.

The polytetrafiuoroethylene and polychlorotriiiuorcethylene bodies produced by sintering under pressure or by other means described herein may be machined to sealing plugs having substantially the dimensions of the aperture to be sealed so that the sealing plug fits closely, usually not looser than 5% of the diameter of the opening, the entire aperture or opening. In practice, it has been found that the plug may be made slightly larger in cross sectional area than the aperture or opening to be sealed and the plug may be forced into the aperture by applying pressure thereto. In the case of metallic members, the edges of the opening will shave the excess polymer to a size exactly fitting the aperture. In some cases, the aperture may be tapered so that a plug with a matching taper may be forced in as a taper fit thereby providing a fairly tight seal by applying only moderate pressure or a light blow from a hammer or the like.

If the aperture or opening to be sealed is relatively great compared to the thickness of the sealing plug, it may be desirable to reinforce the polytetrailuoroethylene or polychlorotrifluoroethylene with suitable solid fillers. such as silica, asbestos powder, powdered glass, glass fibers or metallic powders. These finely divided or fibrous materials may be admixed with the powdered polymer before it is molded by sintering under pressure. A woven or other sheet material composed of glass fibers. metal Wire, asbestos fibers or the like may be combined with sheets of polytetrafiuoroethylene or polychlorotrifluoroethylene or both, and the assembly molded under a confined pressure similar to the process described employing the powdered tetrauoroethylene polymer. It will be apparent to those skilled ln the art, that these or other expedients may be resortedto for 'reinforcing the molded sealing plugs to withstand the pressures or service conof from 320 C. to 500 C., that is, above the 75 ditions to be met. Inany event, the sealing plus Figure 1 of the drawing shows one of the early1 stages of the manufacture of the heater unit I 0. The heater comprises a sheath I2 which is a cylindrical tube with open ends within which there is centrally disposed a resistance I4 connected to solid terminals I6 and I8, respectively. A solid insulating powder 20. such as magnesium oxide or other refractory insulation, is packed within the sheath I2 to insulate the resistance I4 from the sheath. The refractory insulation 20 is compacted under pressure in order to minimize the amount of air present and for other reasons. The sheath I2 proper is composed of a suitable metallic alloy, such, for example, as a stainless, stabilized chrome nickel steel resistance to corrosion. The terminals I6 and I8 may be of the samematerial as the sheath or may be composed of an open hearth steel. As shown in Fig. 1, the terminals I6 and I8 are considerably longer than required in the completed heating unit. A cap 22 cooperates with'the sheath to retain the insulation 20 under pressure.

The heating elementl I of Fig.- l is bent into a coil 26, as shown in Fig. 2, and then the upper surface on the coil 26 is subjected to ilattening mediately after assembly this is not necessary if the plug :o nts fairly snugly against the terminals. 1 I6 or I8 and the sheath end 34. When installed f in the range, the operating temperatures customarily encountered will cause the plug to unmold or expand during service and eiect a hermetical seal.

In one test sealing plugs made in accordance with this invention were placed within a heating unit and subjected to heat treatment for 20 days at a temperature of 275 C. No shrinkage or cracking of the plug was visible. No appreciable weight losses of material was encountered in this.

press period. These temperatures are as high as will be met with in practice. It will be appreciated that polytetraiiuoroethylene and polychlorotriiluoroethylene are good electrical insulators and the plugs 80 will afford excellent electrical insulation between the sheath and the resistance element terminals.

The sealing plugs possess a desirable degree of resiliency that is not l-ost on ageingv for prolonged periods at elevated temperatures.` Samples of polytetrafluoroethylene have been aged for two years at 250 C. without increase of stiflness -sufcient to render them brittle. This property is desirable in a sealing plug if a substantially permanent hermetic seal is to` be attained.

A 1/4 inch nominal thickness sheet of polytetrailuoroethylene of a density of 2.157 was cut into rods approximately 0.477 inch long and 0.253 inch diameter. These rods were heated at 275 C.

- for l@ hour. When cooled to room temperature in a press to provide for a flat heating surface 1 28 as well as to compress the insulation 20 to a greaterdensity. The ends of the sheath I2 are cut oi` a'short distance from each end in order to expose about an inch or more of the terminals I6 and I8. The resistance I4 may be heated in order to expel any gases or moisture that may be present. As illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing, the terminals I6 and I8 are provided with threads to which connectors 24 may be attached in a iinal operation by screwing it on. The end portions 34 of the sheath I2 are treated to remove the compacted refractory insulation 20 to a. predetermined depth of about 1/2" to provide for the reception of a sealing plug 30.

'Ihe sealing plug 30 is composed of polymerized polychlorofluoroethypolytetrafiuoroethylene or iene or a mixture of both treated to possess the property of unmolding. The plug 30 comprises a bore 36 which its over the terminals I6 or I 8 closely but movably. 'I'he exterior of the plug 30 maybe of a size to fit the end 34 snugly or it may be somewhat larger in size requiring pressure to force the plug 30 into place, even to the extent of shaving on? a portion of the plug. Thereafter the coil 26 may be heated to produce a temperature of about 200 C. at the sealing plugs 30. At this temperature, the plug will unmold or expand radially against the sheath walls with considerable pressure. This expansion will not only cause the sealing plug 30 to conform to all the surface variations of the internal wall of the sheath at 34 but will also cause the plug 30 to contract about the terminals I6, thereby providing a complete, substantially hermetic seal at each end of the sheath.

While it is preferable in most cases that the heat treatment of the plug be accomplished imthe rods had deformed into an elliptical lcrosssecticn of 0.298 and 0.234 inch major and minor radius,l respectively, and the length contracted to 0.440 inch. The cross sectional area had increased 9.7%. The dimension of greatest expansion was perpendicular tothe surface of the voriginal sheet. Other rods of a "/i inch diameter were severed from the 1A inch thick sheet, some with their axis parallel to the flat surface of the sheet and others with their.. axis cut vertically through the surface ofthe sheet. The rods were pressed into holes in steel blocks of the same diameter as the rods and the assemblies heated for 30 minutes at 275 C. After cooling to room temperature it was found that the rods cut with their axis parallel to the surface ofthe sheet were tightly in place in the blocks, while the rods cut with their axis perpendicular to the surface of the sheet has loosened so that they fell out of the blocks.

Since certain changes in the above invention I sisting of polytetrailuoroethylene and polychlorotriiluoroethylene by compressing the solid polyincr at a pressure of above 100 p. s. i. at a temperature of above about 320 C. for polytetrafluoroethylene and above about 250 C. for polychlorotriiluoroethylene and maintaining the `pressure upon the body until the temperature is substantially below 200 C. whereby the released body of polymer has the property of unmolding auch that when heated to a temperature of 200 C.

'sectional area exhibiting a substantial permanent increase in area when heated to at least 200 C.. disposing the plug in the opening with the crosssectional area being disposed in the general plane o! the opening, and heating the applied plug to a temperature o! at least 200 C. to cause the plug to expand permanently and illl the opening tightly.

2. lIn the `method o! sealing an opening in a member, the steps comprising cold working a body of a solid polymer of a density of at least 2 selected from the group consisting oi polytetrafiuoroethylene and polychlorotriiluoroethylene until the density is at least 2.09, whereby the cold worked body oi polymer has the property of unmolding such that when heated to a tempera- `ture of 200 C. and higher it will expand permanently in at least one dimension. such permanent expansion being substantial at room temperature, and one cross-sectional area will exhibitI a substantial permanent increase of area when heated to a temperature of at least 200 C., preparing a plug from the bodyof the polymer, the plug having a transverse cross-section corresponding closely to the opening to be sealed, the transverse cross-section of the plug comprising the said one cross-sectional area exhibiting a substantial permanent increase in area when heated to at least 200 C., disposing the plug in the opening with the cross-sectional area being disposed in the general plane of the opening, and heating the applied plug to a temperature of at least 200'J C. to cause the plug to expand permanently and lill the opening tightly.

3. In the method of sealing an opening in a member the steps comprising severing a predetermined portion of a body of a polymer of a density of at least 2.09 selected from the group consisting` of polytetrailuoroethylene and polychlorotriiluoroethylene, heating the severed portion to a temperature of at least 200 C. for a period of time of the order of one hour, cooling the portion to room temperature and determining the dimension and cross-sectional area of the portion exhibiting the maximum permanent increase due to the unmolding caused by the heating, then severing from the body oi' the polymer a plug having a cross-section substantially identical with that of the opening to be sealed, the plug being so severed from the body with respect to the said previously severed portion that the cross-sectional area. oi' the plug is substantially parallel to the cross-sectional area of the D01- tion, as it was originally located in the body. exhibiting the maximum permanent increase in area. disposing the plug in the opening with the cross-sectional area being dimmed in the general plane oi' the opening. and heating the applied plug to a temperature oi at least 200 C. to cause the plug to expand permanently and illl the opening tightly. l

4. The method of providing a substantially hermetical seal at the ends of a sheathed heating element, said heating element comprising a tubular sheath, a heating element disposed in the sheath, insulation disposed between the heating element and the sheath and leads from the heating element extending beyond the ends of the sheath, comprising severing a predetermined portion oi a body o! a polymer of a density ot at least 2.09 selected from the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene and polychlorotriiluoroethylene, heating the severed portion to a temperature of at least 200 C. tor a period of time of the order o! one hour. cooling the portion to room temperature and determining the dimension and cross-sectional area of the portion exhibitjing the maximum permanent increase due to the unmolding caused by the heating, then severing from the body of the polymer a plug having a cross-section substantially identical with the cross-section of the sheath, each plug having an aperture-substantially the size o! the lead to enable passing the lead therethrough, the plug being so severed from the body o! the polymer with respect to the said previously severed portion that the cross-section of the plug is substantially parallel to the cross-sectional area ot the portion, as it was originally located in the body, exhibiting the maximum increase in area, placing each plug within an end of the sheath with the lead passing through the aperture in the plug. the said cross-section oi.' the plug being disposed parallel to the cross-section of the sheath, and heating the sheath and applied plugs to a temperature of at least 200 C. to cause the plugs to expand permanently and tightly illl the ends of the sheath to provide i'or sealing it.

5. A sealed sheathed heating element comprising a tubular sheath, a heating element disposed in the sheath, insulation disposed between the heating element and the sheath and leads from the heating element extending beyond the ends of the sheath, sealing plugs of a polymer selected from the group consisting ot polytetratluoroethylene and polychlorotriuoroethylene tightly ntted into each end of the sheath, each plug having an aperture through which a lead passes, the plugs being prepared and applied in accordance with the process of claim 4.

JACK SWISS.

No references cited. 

1. IN THE METHOD OF SEALING AN OPENING IN A MEMBER, THE STEPS COMPRISING PREPARING A BODY OF A SOLID POLYMER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE AND POLYCHLOROTRIFLUOROETHYLENE BY COMPRESSING THE SOLID POLYMER AT A PRESSURE OF ABOVE 100 P. S. I. AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOVE ABOUT 320* C. FOR POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE AND ABOVE ABOUT 250* C. FOR POLYCHLOROTRIFLUOROETHYLENE AND MAINTAINING THE PRESSURE UPON THE BODY UNTIL THE TEMPERATURE IS SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW 200* C. WHEREBY THE RELEASED BODY OF POLYMER HAS THE PROPERTY OF UNMOLDING SUCH THAT WHEN HEATED TO A TEMPERATURE OF 200* C. AND HIGHER IT WILL EXPAND PERMANENTLY IN AT LEAST ONE DIMENSION, SUCH PERMANENT EXPANSION BEING SUBSTANTIALLY AT ROOM TEMPERATURE, AND ONE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA WILL EXHIBIT A SUBSTANTIAL PERMANENT INCREASE OF ARE WHEN HEATED TO A TEMPERATURE OF AT LEAST 200* C., PREPARING A PLUG FROM THE BODY OF THE POLYMER, THE PLUT HAVING A TRANSVERSE CROSS-SECTION CORRESPONDING CLOSELY TO THE OPENING TO BE SEALED, THE TRANSVERSE CROSSSECTION OF THE PLUG COMPRISING THE SAID ONE CROSSSECTIONAL AREA EXHIBITING A SUBSTANTIAL PERMANENT INCREASE IN ARE WHEN HEATED TO AT LEAST 200* C., DISPOSING THE PLUG IN THE OPENING WITH THE CROSSSECTIONAL AREA BEING DISPOSED IN THE GENERAL PLANE OF THE OPEINING, AND HEATING THE APPLIED PLUG TO A TEMPERATURE OF AT LEAST 200* C. TO CAUSE THE PLUG TO EXPAND PERMANENTLY AND FILL THE OPENING TIGHTLY. 